Enthusiastic development with the project - Megan's Arrival and Touring Ethiopia - Vacation!!

Addis Ababa Travel Blog

I became pretty busy with preparing the project and making sure all the logistic was ready, especially all the documents on the first week of December. So I had some more talk with Anteneh, who made the phone calls and so on. The training orientation for the Kebele youth was set on December 6th. So I had to finish the training curriculum by then, print all the documents and questionnaires for the interviews on the field and eventually try to get them a letter. Although the letter didn't fully succeeded as matter of time so I made one from the Institute instead.

I also made the contract for the 10 youths I am employing for that bit of the project and the contract for Anteneh.

And hop everything was ready for the saturday morning december 6th.

Addis Ababa Commonwealth War Grave

I went with the taxi to Arada New Era School where the training was to be and not too long after all the youths did arrive and the training, which lasted half a day did quite go well.

It was pretty strange for me to be teaching/training as I never really did such since university. I did my best and it went pretty smooth. I actually loved it pretty much and it seemed to have been well received as well. A break for a drink and we continued with the questionnaire of the project and explaining the project itself and making sure they understood before we set the working days.The training was about Social Interview Qualitative Study, I made the curriculum myself and took what was important for this issue. Mainly it touched Ethics and Etiquette as matter of professionalism to handle confidential data.

Addis Ababa Commonwealth War Grave

I think this training will be a great thing for their continuation.

Anteneh and me spent the afternoon walking around Arada 03/09 to collect some observation data, but it went slow as the sun was shining hard. So I thought it would be continued another day and wasn't stress about that. Although Anteneh seemed pretty reluctant at it at a later stage.

On Sunday, we went forward on the field to complete Kirkos 10. It started late and Anteneh was tired but we did manage to do it all and met with Esmael from Lideta 11 to review his work so far and answer his question. I had the chance to tour Lideta 11 which is an amazing slum area, all extremely overcrowded and dense chika house with narrowed streets. I loved it! Of course it is a slum though.

Kirkos 10 is more like a large institution with slum in between, it doesnt seem to have any soul.

Arat Kilo

It is where the African Union and Sudan Embassy is located.

After this we simply left for the day, the sun was making me dazed.The work continued on Monday, although it was a muslim holiday and we had 2 muslim in our youths that weren't working. None of them seemed to need us to meet with them so we met with the youth of Kirkos 10 and then went further to collect the data from Lideta 11 as Esmael had finished his interviews. Then we headed to walk Arada 11/12. I had never been there but it again a full amazement. The historic houses in that district!! Bauhaus, and traditional rich Ethiopian Noble houses... less maintained but still.It is also a pretty hilly Kebele. I enjoyed it and Robel came with me for that trip so he could see some bit of Addis he had never been before despite the fact that he lived here all his life.

Emperor's Chair - National Museum

We finished the day talking over a pizza near Siddist Kilo before heading home (Siddist Kilo is in Arada 11/12).

That was it for the field work, although some more is needed they won't be happening before later. I did data entry on Tuesday and on Wednesday I prepared the reference letter for the youth and some other thing in my report before Anteneh came to set the appointment with the Local Administration officials. Tomorrow Megan is here! That's my most important feature!!

December 11

Megan is arriving tonight at Bole Airport!

It's with great enthusiasm that I walked to Bole Airport this late night... the airport isn't that far. I waited and there she came out, great smile and immediately a hug and kiss. It was like no one else existed in this fairly crowded airport. Megan had certainly dressed to impress too, she was well tailored. We didn't stay long and immediately took a taxi to home. It was late at night and the journey had been long so it wasn't too long before we just went to bed. Megan had brought a lot of snack and sweets that couldn't be obtained here. So getting through the bags was like a kid at Halloween.